WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - With one week of training camp remaining, 10 questions about where Purdue’s football team stands:

• Has the addition of graduate transfers and junior college players increased the level of competition throughout the roster?

“It’s been a huge plus,” coach Jeff Brohm said. “They’ve come in and worked very hard and fit in well with our guys. They have, without question, helped our football team. We’ve got to utilize them. We have to play more guys and it allows us to push guys that are here: ‘Hey, if you can’t get it done and give great effort and finish, we’ve got some other guys that we’ll put in here and do it.’ ”

Won’t know for sure until the season opener, but still look for Brohm to use the redshirt freshmen quarterback in certain situations to give opponents a different look. Sparks is also working out at receiver.

Brohm praised backup quarterback Elijah Sindelar’s pocket poise after Saturday’s closed scrimmage. Meanwhile, Blough wasn’t as sharp in this area, according to Brohm but the lack of success doesn’t all fall on the Texas native’s shoulders.

Blough, though, does start practice with the first-team offense and is receiving more than half of the snaps with the No. 1 group.

Sure sounds like it. Now, it’s a matter of how many times co-defensive coordinator Nick Holt will put four linebackers on the field.

• Will the defensive front continue to win the line of scrimmage?

Gelen Robinson, Eddy Wilson and Austin Larkin, along with the help of a linebacker – probably Danny Ezechukwu - have performed well by all accounts.

“Schematically, that’s a pretty tough defense to look at day in and day out, which helps us as an offense,” center Kirk Barron said. “Every time I come out here, I feel like I’m playing a chess match with coach Holt, trying to figure out what he wants to do.”

Hard to tell since several players Brohm and his staff were counting on have been out or limited since Aug. 3.

Most notably is Notre Dame transfer Corey Holmes, who missed the last part of the first practice. He did return over the first weekend but wasn’t on the field a lot last week.

Holmes was brought in as a deep threat and to help stretch the field. He’s an important piece to what Brohm wants to see from the offense.

“He’s showed some signs to be in the rotation and play for us. I think he can be a very good player for us,” Brohm said.

• Along with Holmes, will receivers Jarrett Burgess and Malcolm Doston return before the end of camp? The status of junior college transfer Terry Wright is worth watching since he was scheduled to see a doctor Saturday.

It appears the Boilermakers have found answers or are getting close. Shane Evans and David Steinmetz, two graduate transfers, are settling in and creating continuity. No surprise since they were brought into the program to challenging for a starting spot.

The Boilermakers will probably start the season with four linemen with game experience.

• Will the running back position still feature enough depth?

D.J. Knox and Markell Jones didn’t participate in Saturday’s closed scrimmage and Tario Fuller saw limited action, according to Brohm. That leaves Brian Lankford-Johnson and Richie Worship remaining from the top five backs when camp started.

• Are more freshmen challenging for playing time?

Receiver Keyron Catlett was one of the first names mentioned at the start of camp but tight end Darius Pittman also emerged. Tight ends coach Tony Levine, who also oversees special teams, said this about Pittman.

"He's picked up it faster than any other tight end I’ve ever coached in this offense," Levine said.

With two solid tight ends – Cole Herdman and Brycen Hopkins – Pittman is a candidate to redshirt.

“He has a tremendous future in front of him,” Levine said. “What can he be in the fifth year of his program? I could see him even traveling (this season), hoping to redshirt him and bringing him on the trips and getting him accustomed to traveling, warming up on the road and getting yelled at.”